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Miss America – confidence and compassion are the real makeup of a beautiful person

| January 18th, 2012 | admin | 0 Comments »

We used to think beauty pageant contestants counseled me slight variations of the woman-pretty, thin, great hair, brilliant smile, funny talent, and a need to have world peace. OK, that’s generalizing a lttle bit, but a majority of these ladies happen to be trained from a young age to mould to the standards with the pageant arena, thereby hiding a lot of the unique and awesome reasons for having themselves. We’re thrilled to report that the standards of pageant girls are changing.

Miss Delaware Kayla Martell is going to be competing in this week’s Miss America competition wearing wigs. The 22-year-old suffers from alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that triggers sufferers to get rid of their hair and can leave them completely bald. Martell has had no hair since she was a child, and competed inside the Miss Delaware pageant twice with out a wig. The next time she wore a wig and won the state of hawaii title. “I made the choice to work with my crown to indicate it is time we redefine exactly what it means to be beautiful,” Martell told ABC News. “In my experience, beauty is a component of your soul…You will be ‘beautiful’ on the outside and ‘ugly’ inside…But confidence and compassion would be the real makeup of the beautiful person.” Though the pageant organization says she doesn’t have a wig to compete from the Miss America competition she’s opting to put on one.

Martell told ABC News: “Once i go trips to market, when I’m out with my girlfriends, when I’m in your own home, I’m devoid of the wig. That’s me. Employing real me.” She chose to wear wigs with this week’s event because, “people are so surprised to view a bald woman, not to mention a bald beauty pageant contestant.” We wish Martell would go bald and proud for Miss America, but we’re still so psyched to determine women who looks different win a title and continue on to compete on such a big platform.

But Miss Delaware isn’t really the only lady that has a crown making waves. An ancient Miss England has traded in her own ballgowns for military fatigues and could be deployed in Afghanistan in 2012. Corporal Katrina Hodge, who may have already served in Iraq, won the pageant title last January, but is currently back on duty. The British media has dubbed the 24-year-old “Combat Barbie.” “At the conclusion of waking time, it’s my job. If that is what I’ve got to do, then that’s what I have to complete,” Hodge told the AFP. “It’s difficult to become anxious about going to Afghanistan however it is the reality of our responsibility. Our job is be on the market, protecting our country.”

Hodge is usually a former lingerie model. She joined the forces at 17 and served while using the 1st Battalion in Iraq for seven months before dolling up for pageant season. She married a fellow soldier named Neil last June, and it is currently in practicing deployment, calling re-enlisting a “culture shock.” “That’s not me going to lie, it had been difficult to return.” Hodge told the AFP. “It’s definitely an alteration of lifestyle from getting your hair and produce-up done daily to when i was in your combats and having your hair scraped back.” A soldier who kicks butt but can are still king a proper gown? We adore it! She even incorporates a book popping out in April called “Combat to Catwalk” about her experiences. As it pertains time for that talent portion of your competition women would be challenged if we have to beat Hodge’s impressive background.

Thanks, ladies, for proving there’s more to pageant girls than simply glitz and glam.